Open-heart surgery is a procedure used to treat serious cardiovascular diseases. Now such a solution gives a good prognosis for many patients.
Cardiac surgery https://emex-medical.ru/treatment/kardiohirurgiya-v-germanii/ is a procedure in which the chest is opened and the heart is exposed. It is usually performed in adults, and it is relatively safe, as the mortality rate is less than 2%.
Open heart surgery
Open heart surgery is most often performed to preserve the coronary arteries. They are narrowed, blocked or damaged, which can be corrected during the operation.
Interestingly, a study by Dr. David Montaigne from the University of Lille showed that the heart is sensitive to the daily cycle. Performing the operation in the second half of the day reduces the risk of complications by 50%.
When is open heart surgery necessary?
Usually, open heart surgery is performed when shunting is necessary. The goal is to restore blood flow to the heart, which reduces the risk of a heart attack.
Ischemic heart disease is the result of narrowing and hardening of the arteries. This is due to the accumulation of fat in the form of sediment on their walls. In such conditions, blood cannot flow freely, which leads to clogging of blood vessels.
Open heart surgery is also necessary to correct the structure or replace the valves. Then implants are installed or a transplant is performed. There are several types of open-heart surgery.
The most common open heart operations
The most common open heart operations are bypass surgery and valve surgery.
Implantation of a shunt
This procedure is necessary for the narrowing of blood vessels through which blood is transported. To correct this problem, a coronary bypass graft is implanted.
The procedure involves taking part of a vein from another part of the body and creating a new path through which blood flows to the heart. If part of the artery is blocked, this problem is also corrected.
Valve surgery
There are four valves in the heart: two atrioventricular, aortic and pulmonary. Each of them pumps blood into the chambers of the heart. When the valves are not working properly, open heart surgery can be performed to correct their function.
Sometimes they narrow, and the blood cannot flow freely. This problem is called stenosis. Sometimes the valves do not close properly. Valvular regurgitation causes problems that can also be corrected surgically.
How is such a procedure carried out?
Open heart surgery lasts from three to six hours. It begins with a vertical incision about 8 to 10 inches in the center of the chest. Then the sternum, the bone in the center of the chest, is cut. As a result, the heart is exposed
Sometimes a device for artificial blood circulation is used, in which blood flows through tubes and makes the heart work. The operation can also be performed without this equipment.